Facilitating Motor Skill Learning in Parkinson's Disease (FAST-PD)

University of Erlangen-Nürnberg

Status: Completed

Conditions: Parkinson Disease

Treatments: Behavioral: motor learning; Behavioral: rest; Behavioral: aerobic exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03245216

DSN-032017

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study is designed to assess the effects of aerobic exercise on motor learning in Parkinson patients. Specifically, the investigators examine whether a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise, performed immediately before task practice, facilitates the acquisition and retention of a motor skill. In a cross-over design, participants will be randomly allocated to either the intervention group (aerobic exercise before motor learning) or control group (rest before motor learning).

Full description

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by motor control impairments, such as gait disturbances and postural instability. Beneficial effects of exercise are attributed to mechanisms of neuroplasticity, and task-specific motor training is consequently considered to be a motor learning process. While motor learning is preserved in persons with Parkinson's disease, slower acquisition rates and reduced retention have been reported compared to healthy individuals.

Thus, it is crucial to identify strategies to enhance motor learning in people with Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have accumulated evidence to show that aerobic exercise can facilitate motor skill learning. However, these observations are limited to healthy individuals and have not been addressed in individuals with neurologic conditions.

The present study is designed to assess the effects of a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on a motor skill learning task in patients with Parkinson's disease.

In a cross-over design, participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups. Both groups will practice balancing on a specific stability platform (motor learning task). The experimental group will additionally perform a bout of aerobic exercise (cycle ergometer) immediately before the motor learning task, while the control group will rest before practice. Subsequently, the acquisition and one-day retention of the motor learning task will be examined.

Enrollment: 28 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Parkinson's disease stage 1-3 on Hoehn & Yahr scale
• Ability to stand unaided and walk without an assistive device
• Stable medication during the study period

Exclusion criteria

• On-off and wearing-off phenomena
• Unstable medical or psychiatric illness
• Clinically relevant cardiovascular or orthopaedic disease
• Severe polyneuropathy
• Cognitive impairment
• Smoking > 10 cigarettes/day
• Caffeine > 6 cups of coffee/day
• Alcohol > 50 g (two glasses)/day

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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28 participants in 2 patient groups

aerobic exercise + motor skill practice

Experimental group

Description:

acute bout of aerobic exercise before motor learning

Treatment:

Behavioral: motor learning

Behavioral: aerobic exercise

rest + motor skill practice

Active Comparator group

Description:

seated rest before motor learning

Treatment:

Behavioral: motor learning

Behavioral: rest